Penchant for Love
by blackfox-vixen
Summary: Drabbles archiving Kagome in moments of her life as a mother, a lover, a wife, a friend, and a kind stranger with all persons in different stages of life. All centered around her penchant for love. [Non-connected drabbles]
1. Start of a Brighter Day: Naruto

Unyielding and inflexible in their path, tears rolled down rounded cheeks from eyes glittering a blue as clear as the sky with unshed tears. Blonde hair, normally as yellow and bright as the morning sun remained plastered on pale skin, darkened by the constant dribbles of water from the heavens. Cries failed to leave the child's trembling body but occasional whimpers fell onto deaf ears.

That is but one pair.

He felt cold and alone, he wanted to go home. A place he had yet to find or have and that alone prevented him from returning to his living quarters. To him, that place was nothing but a sad reminder of what he didn't have.

Suddenly the onslaught of rain halted, the cold drops no longer raining down like knives on the small boy's skin. Naruto Uzumaki looked up with unsure eyes, expecting unkind eyes to glare down on him with as equally harsh words.

But eyes filled with warmth looked down on him, creating a warmth that he only dreamt of.

She was like…

'_Sunshine..._'

"Hey there little guy, it's a bit cold to be in a rain huh."

Her voice was like music to his ears. The surreal feeling of the moment caused his eyes to well up with tears once more, sniffles now leaving him periodically. He didn't want this moment to end.

"Oh my, you'll be getting a cold in no time with those clothes on!"

Naruto watched in amazement as the woman pulled her own coat off in the rain and wrap it around him, enveloping him in the thick coat still radiating from her warmth.

"It'll be okay, my name is Kagome. Now, let's get you cleaned up, all warm and cozy'd, and fill our bellies with hot ramen, how's that for a plan?"

Starting that day, the days of Naruto Uzumaki's life have never seemed as brighter.


	2. Love by Any Other Name: Nara Family

Uwaa thank you guys for the lovely responses! Sorry for the long wait~~

* * *

**Love by Any Other Name**

Troublesome

Problematic

Burdensome

Overbearing

The words clung to the tip of his tongue yet didn't dare to express themselves.

"Ahh Maru-kun, you look so handsome!" His mother coo'ed pulling her stoic son from the doorway and into her arms. She pressed loving kisses against the pads of his cheeks, the warmth of his skin intensifying with each contact.

"Haha-ue, please, you're being-"

"I'm being **what,** Maru-kun?"

Seven year old Shikamaru Nara tensed as he caught the challenge in her eyes, her alluring blue eyes bore into his. The blush on his face quickly fading completely until he paled like the walls of his home. A movement caught his eye as his mother began straightening the collar of his summer yukata. His father was subtly shaking his head, making hand gestures common among ninjas.

_'Retreat_' Shikaku directed, sensing that his son was in troubled waters.

"...you look beautiful," Shikamaru tactfully redirected without a single deceitful tone. For he was true in his compliment, his mother Kagome Nara adorned in an elaborately decorated kimono was a sight to behold.

Kagome winked in response, straightening up to stand by her husband. She was very much aware of the signs her husband was sending behind her back but decided not to call him out on it. For now.

"Thank you Maru-kun, don't worry though, we won't hover this time," She reassured as the family headed out the door. Kagome stood on her toes, placing a sweet, chaste kiss on her husband's lips, his response almost immediate though cut short by his son's feigned calls of strangulation.

"Now come on, we don't want to scare off all the pretty ladies waiting to be your future wife~"

"Ehhh," Father and son deadpanned as they watched the cheerful woman giggle and continue to sing out nonsense.

"...that's _your_ mother."

"...that's_ your_ wife."

"**Troublesome**."

"What did you two say?"

The two froze as a wicked stare was sent their way from above the pink fan covering half her face. There was no doubt, behind the warm smiles and nondiscriminatory love, Kagome Higurashi Nara held a tight leash and iron fist over the family. And Shikamaru Nara, at the tender age of seven, was quite convinced his mother could read minds and predict the future. Whereas Shikaku Nara simply accepted Kagome for the all powerful being she was, finding it easier when he did not try to understand the inner workings of her brain.

"That's what I thought."


	3. Rough pages, Greater Beginnings: Kakashi

Kakashi eyed the bookshelf, his single visible eye seemingly straining to find something that wasn't there.

'Can't be, it has to be here! Today was the release!,' Kakashi thought, sudden ire growing for his students. Due to some complications that developed due to the bickering nature of his most favorite charges, Naruto, Sai and Sasuke, they were delayed a few days in returning to the village. In reality, had it been any normal week, he wouldn't have minded much. But that passing week had been the exclusive week to reserve the special, new copies of Icha Icha Secret. All of which came down to day, the day it was to release.

Therefore, his backup plan had been to arrive at the crack of dawn a few minutes before the bookstore opened to get his hands on a copy before it flew from the shelves.

Unfortunately, the gods did not seem it fit that he obtain his copy. One after another, misfortune fell on his step. Until finally, there he stood, in front of the adult book section an hour after the store opened.

A large gap of baron shelf laid before him.

Death, torture, blood, had no force in drawing tears from his eyes. But this-

A comically large drop of sorrow appeared on the corner of his eye.

"I'm...done for," He moaned as he let his head fall forward, his forehead .landing with a solid thump on the ledge of the shelf.

A giggle disrupted his depressing thoughts. Finding little in wanting to be disturbed, he simply rolled his head to peak at the stranger.

In front of him stood a petite civilian, dressed in a simple yet flattering yellow sundress and sandals. The small book-shaped pin hanging from her breast indicated she was an employee at this small store. However seeing as he had never met her before, and seeing as he was a regular shopper here, he surmised she was a new hire.

"Can I help you today? You seem disappointed," She pointed out, a comforting yet humored smile complimenting her face.

A dark depressing cloud once again fell over his thoughts.

"Unless you have a copy of Icha Icha Secret with you...no...not really….thank you…" he sulked, though he remained in eye-contact with her.

"Oh, oh! As a matter of fact, I do!" She exclaimed, her fist hitting the pads of her other hand.

"You do? YOU DO?!" Kakashi burst in energetic streams of light as he rushed toward the startled worker, his hands gently yet firmly grasping her shoulders.

"Please, let me buy it," He asked, unintentionally lowering his tone, his gaze intensifying into a smolder, his sole focus being in obtaining the last copy from the pretty employee.

"E-eto...well, it's not really for sale,"

Kakashi fell to his knees, bringing the smaller woman with him, her being unable to resist the sudden pull from his hands. Kakashi wondered if the world was ending.

Hesitant hands gently patted his back, only once stroking it in reassurance.

"The new stock of Icha Icha Secret won't be coming in for a week," He deadpanned as he listened to her, "But, I can recognize a fellow dedicated reader when I see one. I can let you borrow it though."

Kakashi looked up at the worker, who resumed patting his back. He could not sense any other emotion other than happiness, concern, and understanding.

"Borrow? You read the series?"

"Yup! I'm an avid fan! I admit, when I first picked it up it seemed too corny for me. But it's actually quite interesting and fun," She admitted, letting out a slip of blush before smiling at him once more.

His breath caught for a moment.

"So would you like to borrow it?"

"Y….Yes, I would. Thank you,"

"No problem! My name's Kagome by the way, Higurashi, Kagome."

Right now, Kagome was a saint and a true angel in his eyes.

"Hatake, Kakashi."

"Right, Hatake-san -"

"Kakashi, call me Kakashi. I can't see it as us being only strangers seeing that you're letting me borrow this book," He reasoned, pondering if that was truly the only reason why he wanted her to call him by his first name

"Hehe," She looked adorable giggling into her hand, "Well Kakashi-san you can call me Kagome then, can I trust you to guard this book with your life? Not even a crinkle on the page!"

"...With my life."

Maybe the gods really weren't against him today.


	4. Bumps Of A Surface: Sai

Paper. From just looking, the stark white page stretched on.

Corners ended in crisp cuts.

The surface lacked any blemishes or folds.

To the naked eye, it was a perfect sheet of white paper, for the owner to do with whatever he or she pleased.

But with the delicate swipe of a hand, trained senses would then tell of the imperfections that riddled that one piece.

Bumps like sharp rocks on a dirt road riddled the surface.

Edges bent and pressed in the slightest of ways, telling of previous handlers.

They were microscopic, escaping through the mere pretense that if it were small enough, it did not matter.

But it always had matters, and always will. At least, to Sai.

People, were like the pieces of paper he held in his hand. They worked so hard to fill the blank pages, to hide mistakes, and to decorate themselves to mask whatever it is they find unlikable. But like always, with a delicate eye and touch, he could see it all.

Maybe that was why he did not bother sugar-coating his words. Sometimes the most beautiful of things can be found in the simplest of designs.

One could always say that this compulsive nature of his to seek the imperfections in everything led him to find the most complex, yet elementary of puzzles.

Kagome Higurashi.

All her bumps, her tears, her stains. They were so easily seen and yet, rather than taking away, they did nothing but give.

They painted her story, a story he could read. It was almost cliche on how she should act, talk,_ breathe_.

Or so he thought she would.

She was a walking contradiction.

* * *

"Sai-kun?"

Fingers for but a split second before resuming their task. A thick brush pulled across a white canvas, leaving a river of black in its wake.

"Hm?"

"How come this last page is blank?"

Kagome pulled up the last page of the sketchbook she was looking through. And true to her word, the last page of the book was blank, not even a drop of ink could be seen. She had been thumbing through this particular book because it was her favorite, out of all the books Sai had filled up, this one was deemed her favorite. The other books, though beautiful beyond words, were filled with random drawings, paintings, and sketches of people, animals, scenery, weapons, etc. This book in particular however held elaborate and simple drawings of the people he grew to surround himself with and _care_ for. Both front and back, they were filled with life. From small doodles of Naruto's many expressions, to family portrait-style pictures of himself and his squad. That was why it was her favorite. And not because she often spotted herself in it a couple times to her delight.

The Miko waited patiently as Sai finished up his stroke before turning to her, glancing at her face with an appreciative eye before sliding down to the book.

"..."

"...Am I asking a silly question? Did you not-"

"It was meant to be a picture of you."

"..Of..me?"

Sai watched as she tilted her head in confusion as she turned the book in her hands to once again examine the last page. He had no doubt that she was looking for faint traces of pencil markings to see if she could decipher what he had drawn previously. But the truth was, nothing was there because his pencil never touched the paper.

"I don't see anything," Kagome finally admitted with a pout.

"There's nothing there, if you saw anything, I would question your sanity."

"Thanks Sai-kun, that means a lot."

"You're welcome."

A silence fell over them as they continued staring at one another until Sai realized that she was waiting for an explanation, or an excuse.

"I couldn't draw you,"

"Eh? Why not?" She furrowed her brows as she flipped through the book gently to find the random doodles of her face, "Didn't you draw me before though?"

A pale hand appeared to clasp her hand, stopping her search.  
"Yes, but they were mere mimics of what I've seen."

He flipped to a specific page, a picture of her laughing with Naruto. He watched her examine the picture with a smile before turning to look at him.

"I...when I first met you, I thought I knew everything about you. Your past, your present, your personality," He admitted, turning to another page, drawing her eyes away from him once more.

"The more I thought I knew, the less I seemed to know," The pages stopped at a picture of her, petting a small boy with long hair held up with in a pony tail with a blue bow.

"So when I tried to draw you," they were back on the blank page, "I realized, I could not capture you with any words, lines, or colors."

Kagome sat speechless.

Sai took that moment to take the book from her hands and set it on the table beside them.

"I could do you no justice. So I left it blank, because you could be everything and anything," Sai slipped a hand to cup her blossoming cheek, "you are my everything."

"S-"

He leaned down, silencing her with a kiss.

He left the page blank, because like Kagome, it spoke for itself and not to others.


End file.
